The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-10-14
COMMUNICATION FROM WV. PARKER
ASTORIA, Oct. Is, 1887.

ASTORIA, Oct. Is, 1887.
EDITOR AsToRIAN:
Referring to an editorial item in
this mornings AsToRIAN entitled
aThe way not to do it, perhaps a
little EXPLANATION from me is In order.
The long and short of the whole
matter, as far as L am concerned in it,
is this: Weeks ago Hume told me
several times he would subscribe and
pay $1,000 whenever the party hold
ing a cloud over his property in As
toria wouli give him quit claim to
the property, so that he could sell it
| and give a clear title. Somewhere
about the 7th inst, or little before,
he induced the party to promise HIM
the omit claim deed he so much de-
sired $50 he told mel and on that 9Th
inst, (so 1 am told some person, or
persons, "plied" him pretty efectually
with drinks, and while under the in
fluence of the drains induced him to
90 to Judge Bowlby's Office and there
TO sign q paper, mot one of the lists,
or headings for the lists of the rail
road subsidy used by the said COM
mittee) which has been construed as
a promise to subscribe and take
mot pay) $4,000 or less after the Sth
inst.
The above action of Hume, done in
the presence of persons besides Judge
Bowlby, was soon reported on the
street and, in part, published in the
next mornings AsToRIAN. Meeting
Judge Bowlby soon after hearing the
report I asked him what it meant
From the answer that he made, say
ing among other things that Hume
was pretty "full," 1 concluded that it
was bogus affair, and gave that as
my opinion to every person who
asked me about it. / did not, during
the few days the matter was in that
condition, report to any one, or esti-
mate the Hume $4,000 as a bona
fide. reliable or available subscrip-
tion, or promise of one.
Before Judge Bowlby went out of
the city, in the early part of this
week, he brought me, accidentally l
suppose, as he passed my Office late
in the evening on his return from the
postoffice, 1 think, the writing signed
by Hume above referred to, and re-
quested me to see Hume the next
day, before he should leave for San
Francisco on the following day, and
get him, If possible, to subscribe ST.
500 and give up to him the above
named writing, or promise to sub
scribe and take
In the afternoon of the day named
met Hume, told him what wanted,
took him to my office where he signed
$1,000 on the subscription paper; and
he objected to signing $1,000, so 1
took the S2,000,-the amount he had
promised me weeks before, as L re-
membered, in a certain contingency.
Before Judge Bowlby handed me
the Hume paper and up to now, 1
have supposed him to he Hnme's
counselor and attorney in legal mat
ters at Astoria, and that he permitted
him to sign the $4,000 paper in his
office (as Hume and his associates
seemed to desire to do) so that be
could show him afterwards, VIXEN So
ber, how foolish he had been, and
how unsafe il is for business men 20
get "fulr' occasionally. And L have
thought so more strongly since Hume
said, after tearing up the paper in
my Office and telling me how drunk"
he was, that the strangest thing of all
to him was that an honorable, just
man like Judge Bowlby should allow
him to sign such paper in his, the
judges, office. Hume said, also, In a
bluff, braggart, "w who-is-the man that
struck -Billy-Patterson" way, that he
did not go back on his word, etc. But
concluded that he depended on
Judge Bowlby to get him out of the
scrape, all the time he was boasting
about what he would do. like many
another itigant In lawsuit-know-
ing that his attorney would see that
his rights were protected and secured
to him.
So much, Mr.. Editor, by way of ex-
planation Of what L did and why l
did it.
Now for the discrepancy between
your statement, editorial item, and
the facts.
1 did nothing in the whole matter,
neither as chairman of the committee
nor as member of the committee. as
stated in your article i did not un-
derstand that Judge Bowlby did any
thing in the whole matter as a mem
Der of said committee. He is not a
member OF the committee. The
Hume agreement paper has never
been in the hands of any member OF
the committee as such. 1 do not
know why Hume insisted upon sign
ing and leaving the paper in Judge
Bowlby's Office unless because he
knew Judge Bowlby would act faith
fully as his counselor in the matter.
L did not request Hume to tear up
the agreement. He did it of his own
accord and carried the fragments
away with him. He seemed to feel
very much relieved, Notwithstanding
all his boasting.
Neither the railroad committee nor
any member of it as such had any
thing to do with the Hume agree
ment; and, of course, none of the
committee are to blame in the matter.
There seem to be quite number ol
people In this community, associates
of Mr.. j. Hume, who upon first
thought and without fully under.
standing the case. seem to think that
he ought to have been mulcted in the
matter to the tune of $4,000. Know
Il III i Al